After signing a stunning six-year, $206.5 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Zack Greinke struggled with a 4.34 ERA in 2016. While the 34-year-old may never perform like his insane 2015 season again (1.66 ERA, 9.3 WAR for the Dodgers), Greinke is back to looking like the ace Arizona thought they were getting.
Greinke has a 2.82 ERA over an MLB-high 67 innings for the Diamondbacks this season. The right-hander’s strikeout and walk numbers (10.48 K/9: 1.61 BB/9) are as good as they’ve ever been.
Perhaps no game this season has summarized Greinke’s success more than Monday night’s 5-1 Diamondbacks win over the White Sox. Greinke allowed just one earned run over 8 2/3 innings, while striking out 12 batters and walking just one. And for he 12th strikeout, Greinke basically trolled the White Sox with a nasty 65-mph eephus pitch:
65 mph?
Yeah, Zack got ya with the eephus! pic.twitter.com/A2VsP7eyeL
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/MattJ_Sports/status/866873396386177024
That’s unfair.
Greinke’s dominance is a huge reason why the Diamondbacks have been one of MLB’s surprise teams this season with a 27-19 record.
[MLB]
Not a true eephus, just a very slow curve. Look up Bill “Spaceman’ Lee for the real deal.